Complete Regional Transportation Plan 2012 - Cape Cod ...

2.1.2 LAND USES ALONG MAJOR ROADWAYSOf the major roadway corridors of Barnstable County, existing land use varies by thecharacteristics of the town or sub-region as well as along each corridor. The followingincludes a summary of these characteristics.Route 6:Adjacent land uses vary by location. In the limited access sections of the road there issome residential development and some industrial development along the corridor. Inthe sections with curb cuts there is more commercial development, including retailactivity.In addition to being the main thoroughfare for the Cape as a whole, it also is the “MainStreet” of several Cape towns. Buzzards Bay, Eastham, and to a lesser degree, Truro andWellfleet, all use Route 6 as a downtown thoroughfare. This dual purpose for the roadhas created some conflicts for this corridor.Route 28:Land use along Route 28 may vary to a greater extent than any other roadway on CapeCod. Sections between Chatham and Orleans for example are lightly settled with scenicvistas of Pleasant Bay. In the Upper Cape, Route 28’s MacArthur Boulevard is nearly afreeway with the undeveloped Massachusetts Military Reservation to the east andsprawling commercial enterprises along the west. Route 28 serves as a Main Street tonumerous villages such as Falmouth, Dennisport, Harwichport or Chatham, where closeto-the-streetbusiness and residences are complemented by the lower travel speed of theroad. In the Mid-Cape towns of Barnstable and Yarmouth, much of Route 28 iscongested due to high traffic demands and frequent curb-cuts for the many businessestaking advantage of the proximity to drive-by customers.Route 6A:Typical commercial uses include inns, motels, and cottages, restaurants, antique shops,galleries, gift shops, services such as gas stations, banks, small markets, and smallprofessional offices. Residential uses, including home occupations, mixed withchurches, municipal buildings, and open land, continue to dominate the rest of theroadway. Over 3,350 acres of vacant developable land is located within the Route 6Acorridor, most of it zoned for residential use. Development of vacant parcels that abutthe roadway or are located within or adjacent to historic resource areas and scenicviewsheds could diminish the distinctive character. Several village centers exist alongthe corridor, such as Barnstable Village, Yarmouthport, and Brewster. Several “newvillages” have also sprung up as strip development in the last 20 years, such as thedevelopment in Orleans. In addition, Sandwich Center lies just off 6A to the south.Chapter 2.1: Land Use/Environment Cape Cod Regional Transportation Plan | August 2011Page 58